Police personnel may soon be asked to guard bus stops

The police plan to revive an old arrangement of deploying personnel at the city’s bus stops.

The move by the police comes after heightened concerns over safety triggered by the December 16 gang rape of a 23-year-old woman.

Police and traffic police personnel were given the responsibility of manning the capital's nearly 300 bus stops in October 2011 by then police chief BK Gupta. But the initiative was shelved within months.

The Munirka bus stop from where a bus picked up the woman and her friend is among those selected by the security forces.

“Had policemen been at the bus stop on December 16, the tragedy may have never taken place,” a police officer said on condition of anonymity.

While two policemen used to guard each bus stop, the police presence at the one in Munirka was greater because of its perceived vulnerability.

The traffic police are in the process of preparing a list of 100 vulnerable bus stops where policemen will be posted, Sudhir Yadav, special commissioner of police (traffic), said.

The traffic police will identify the bus stops most frequently used by women and deploy women constables there in the evenings, the sources added.

Thousands of women — mostly those headed to and from offices — have to face mental and physical harassment at bus stops every day.

The policemen will also look out for overtaking, lane violations, unnecessary halts and improper parking by auto-rickshaws at bus stops. The traffic police will deploy about 300 constables, including 40 women constables, for the job. Each police station will be responsible for manning at least two bus stops, said the sources.